At Krause’s, the candy man can afford to expand

This is a rendering of the new building Krause’s Homemade Candy plans to build near its existing Central Avenue store.

Even at a time of the year when chocolate quickly melts, Krause’s Candy is enjoying a booming business.

Owner Tom Krause, a third-generation candymaker, has found a way to keep the business profitable and workers employed during the traditionally slow summer months. (Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas are the big sales periods.) He sells his sweets to a wholesaler for distribution in places like Lake George, the Hamptons, Cape Cod and Maine where tourists shop.

That’s enabling Krause and his wife Ann to expand by demolishing two houses near their Central Avenue business to create a new packaging, storage and molding facility.

Krause said it will cost him between $500,000 and $600,000 to demolish the houses at 3 and 5 Tull Drive and to build a new structure to replace them. The demolition is expected to be done Monday, and the new facility should be finished by Nov. 1.

From the front and side, the 4,500-square-foot space will be designed to look like a residential home. No deliveries or employees will enter the property from that direction. Access will come from the back of his parking lot for the store at 1609 Central Ave.

Krause said it is very important to him that the new building fit in with nearby homes, even though the area is zoned commercial.

“It’s going to have a driveway, a front door,” he said. “It will look just like a house.”

Krause lives on the other side of his business, so he said he cares about keeping the neighborhood nice. Demolition is expected to start Monday, and the new facility should be done by November 1.